Now in its eighth year, Ocean Talks is a face-to-face event that brings together the superyacht industry and the world of marine conservation via meaningful conversation, inspirational talks and networking. Held in partnership with Ocean Family Foundation, this year’s event featured world-renowned keynote speakers and a range of exhibitors showcasing the best and latest ocean-saving projects, initiatives and products.
When was Ocean Talks?
Ocean Talks took place on 12 June 2025 - the week following World Oceans Day - at 17:00-20:00.
Where was Ocean Talks held?
Ocean Talks 2025 was held in London at The Magazine, the Serpentine North Gallery in Hyde Park.
Speakers
Keynote: Colin Butfield
Colin Butfield is the co-founder and director of Open Planet Studios, a production company dedicated to impactful storytelling. His extensive work in documentary filmmaking includes the BBC series Earthshot, Netflix features A Life on Our Planet and Breaking Boundaries and National Geographic’s feature documentary Ocean with David Attenborough.
Beyond filmmaking, Butfield founded openplanet.org, a non-profit initiative that provides open-source, free-to-use footage, empowering storytellers worldwide to share narratives about our changing planet in their own language and from their unique perspectives.
With over 15 years of experience, Butfield has written and produced numerous high-profile events, often in collaboration with Sir David Attenborough. His work includes Attenborough's landmark speech at the opening of COP26, main stage events at Davos (2019 and 2020), as well as key engagements for the World Bank, IMF, COP26 Private Finance Agenda, G8 and the UN Security Council.
A passionate advocate for conservation, Butfield has led high-impact campaigns and contributed to multiple UN Climate and Biodiversity initiatives. He is the co-author of Earthshot, published by John Murray, alongside his business partner Jonnie Hughes and HRH Prince William. His upcoming book, Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness, co-written with Sir David Attenborough, has just been released. You can buy signed copies here.
Keynote: Dr Camilla Floros
Dr Camilla Floros is a coral reef specialist with over 20 years experience in marine conservation across the Western Indian Ocean. As Principal Scientist and Marine Programme Manager for Oceans Without Borders (OWB), she leads community-based initiatives to protect critical habitats in Tanzania and Mozambique. Dr Floros oversees a team of marine rangers who conduct research, raise awareness, and implement locally driven solutions to enhance conservation outcomes at key island sites.
OWB is a unique partnership between &Beyond - a luxury travel company rooted in conservation - and Wild Impact, a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting wild seascapes and landscapes in collaboration with local communities. Through this partnership, OWB supports marine conservation and community development in the Bazaruto Archipelago and Mnemba Island. Its approach is centred on empowering local rangers as ambassadors for ocean conservation, fostering stewardship from within the communities most closely connected to these fragile ecosystems.
Exhibitors
The following exhibitors attended the event:
Ocean Family Foundation
Founded by four sea-loving families who feel a responsibility to protect the world’s oceans, Ocean Family Foundation seeks out and donates to existing or start-up marine and ocean-orientated conservation projects. As well as Ocean Talks, Ocean Family Foundation supports Oceans Without Borders, Yachts for Science, Worldrise, Volvo Ocean Race, Save the Med, Trash Hero, UKSA and A Plastic Planet, among others.
Joanne O'Rourke
Joanne O’Rourke is a textile and surface designer whose work explores the intersection of craft, ecology and material innovation. A 2024 graduate of Norwich University of the Arts and a current MA Fine Art student, she is also a member of Green Grads UK.
O’Rourke grew up near Glendalough and along the southeast coast of Ireland, where the forests and shorelines shaped her deep connection to the natural world. Now based near Holkham Beach, she continues to draw inspiration from coastal ecosystems and their quiet, intricate beauty.
Her practice combines hand painting with eco dyes, seaweed imprinting and digital refinement on deadstock fabrics. Her collection, Oceanic Imprints, captures marine life's fragile forms and rhythms through natural pigment and slow, tactile processes. Grounded in sustainability and storytelling, O’Rourke's work invites reflection — a reminder that we are not separate from nature, but part of its ongoing rhythm.
Yachts for Science
There are thousands of marine scientists needing to do vital research at sea, but their greatest challenge is gaining access to vessels in order to carry out their research. Yachts for Science is a match-making initiative that connects scientists and superyacht owners who are willing to offer their yachts for scientific research. Returning to Ocean Talks this year, the organisation will showcase some of the incredible projects Yachts for Science has supported and information on how yacht owners can get involved.
SeaGrown
SeaGrown was founded on the Yorkshire coast by mariner Captain Wave Crookes and marine scientist Professor Laura Robinson. The company pioneers scalable offshore seaweed cultivation, focussing on ocean health enhancement and marine environmental restoration.
After identifying the limitations of existing cultivation methods, SeaGrown developed the innovative Kelpedo™ system – a robust technology enabling vertically integrated seaweed cultivation in any area - offshore, inshore or even in port. Kelpedo has been proven during continuous at-sea deployments over 3 years in the demanding North Sea environment.
This unique approach maximises seaweed yield and habitat creation, allowing SeaGrown to grow native kelp forests wherever needed to sequester carbon, boost biodiversity, and improve water quality without using any fresh water, chemicals, fertilisers or land.
SeaGrown partners with marine businesses to support them with their ESG targets and provides seaweed solutions to help marine industries minimise their impact on the ocean environment. SeaGrown also makes a range of sustainable, seaweed-based food and drink and bath products.
Kurt Alexander
Kurt Alexander is a ceramicist based in Stoke-on-Trent whose work explores sustainable finishing techniques in ceramics while weaving a narrative around coral bleaching and marine conservation. Deeply inspired by nature, Kurt uses both waste and renewable materials to highlight the urgent realities of climate change through his art.
His innovative glazes are crafted from reclaimed factory waste and wild clays sourced locally from Stoke and Lancaster, embodying a commitment to eco-friendly craftsmanship. A passionate reef keeper and marine conservation advocate, Kurt integrates his environmental ethos into his practice and public exhibitions.
Kurt’s dedication to sustainability and storytelling through ceramics earned him an invitation to exhibit with GreengradUK, where he continues to showcase his work across the country, sharing his message and artistic vision.
OMGTea
OMGTea is a specialist matcha green tea company founded by Katherine Swift, whose journey began in 2009 when her mother was diagnosed with a serious illness. Inspired by time spent with a leading breast cancer research charity and driven by a desire to support her mother, Katherine discovered the powerful antioxidant properties of matcha green tea. Determined to source only the highest-quality matcha, she launched OMGTea in 2014. The brand combines passion, science and wellness, helping people take positive steps for their health. Katherine also founded The Healthy Life Foundation, funding research into age-related diseases including cancer.
The company proudly supports the Sussex Kelp Forest Restoration Project - a pioneering initiative protecting over 300 square kilometres of seabed along the Sussex coast. Once devastated by storms, trawling and human pressures - losing 96% of its coverage over 40 years - this vital habitat is now regenerating. The return of these underwater forests is creating an oasis of marine life, enhancing fisheries, and helping sequester carbon - making it a powerful ally in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.
Christopher Duffy
From early age intrigue into engineering and craft, Christopher Duffy has evolved his intuitive desire to make into art-furniture powerhouse Duffy London, capturing the zeitgeist of modern contemporary design and future-thinking techniques.
Their designs are first conceptual, combining art with functionality, while playing with themes of force and motion, space and places, and their own perception. As chief designer, Christopher Duffy keeps close a talented team of designers, artisans and manufacturers to turn these concepts into luxurious and sculptural art furniture pieces. Each piece is part of a limited collection and individually handmade in their London Docklands studio.
Duffy pieces have been showcased at Art Basel, Art Miami, 100% Design, PAD London and Clerkenwell Design Week to name a few. And have been acquired by The Louvre, Sylvester Stallone, Prince and Miley Cyrus, along with companies including Google, Hudson Yards and Four Seasons Hotels.
Chris and the team are constantly exploring new technologies and how to apply them to sustainable materials and mediums as part of their ongoing mission to create luxury for a future world.
Mover x Sail GP
Mover is a Swiss brand founded by entrepreneur Nicolas Rochat which develops plastic-free sportswear made from high-performance natural fibres. Rooted in shared values, global sailing league Sail GP and Mover have aligned forces and demonstrated with a capsule collection the power of sports for good.
The result is a plastic-free collection that brings together performance, purpose, and environmental responsibility. This partnership reflects a common ambition: to challenge industry norms and show that there is a different way forward, as Fiona Morgan, Chief Purpose Officer, SailGP, notes: “At SailGP our ambition is to be the world’s most purpose driven and sustainable global sport and entertainment platform, and it’s only by collaborating with innovative, like-minded partners that we’ll be able to achieve this.”
Supported by A Plastic Planet, this partnership sets a new standard for performance and environmental responsibility. More than a product line, this collaboration is a proof of concept. A living answer to a question the industry too often avoids: what if the future of sportswear wasn’t synthetic at all?
Ground Wellbeing
Founded in 2020 by wellness expert and award-winning spa consultant Peigín Crowley, GROUND Wellbeing is an Irish brand rooted in over 28 years of spa expertise and a deep respect for nature. Born at her kitchen table during lockdown, Peigín created GROUND to support sleep, stress, hormone health, menopause, pregnancy, and cancer care through natural aromatherapy and intuitive self-care rituals. Crowley’s mission is to make wellness a daily ritual - inclusive, accessible to all, and not a luxury. Handmade in small batches in Cork, the products are 100% natural, vegan, and developed to nourish skin and soothe the soul. Sustainability is integral to this vision, GROUND uses low-impact materials, avoids harmful chemicals, cruelty free production, sources locally, offers refills, and uses electric transport where possible as part of a full-circle commitment to reducing environmental impact.
Sea Sisters
Sea Sisters are the first producers of canned fish in England since the 1940s and have a craft fish cannery based in Bridport, West Dorset. They were founded by Charlotte Dawe and Angus Cowan during the 2020 pandemic. With young daughters and limited access to fresh food, the pair turned to store-cupboard staples - especially tinned fish - only to find none were made in the UK or used British fish. This inspired Sea Sisters: a sustainable, small-batch cannery celebrating seasonal British seafood.
Named in honour of their daughters and the spirit of sisterhood, Sea Sisters handcrafts high-quality Conservas, cans inspired by Spanish and Portuguese culinary traditions. They use only British fish sourced from low-impact fisheries and UK aquaculture and are proud to support small-scale operations and women fishermen.
For more information on Ocean Talks, please contact events@boatinternationalmedia.com or follow the hashtag #OceanTalks.